Tram-railway track for public highways.



Patented'idl 3, I900? T.' H. GIBBUN.

TRAM RAILWAY TRACK FOR PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.

(Application filed Oct. 14, 1899.)

(llo Model.)

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\m k A THE NORRIS PEYERS C0,, FNOTOLITHOH WASHINGTON, n. c.

' NITED TTATES PATENT FFIcE.

THOMAS H. GIBBON, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAMERAILWAY TRACK FOR PUBLlC' IGHWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,767, dated July 3, 1900.

Application filed October 14, 1899. Serial No. 733,684- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. GIBBON, of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tram-Railway Tracks forPublic Highways, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my improvements are to minimize the expense of maintenance of public highways and also to provide an efiective,

reliable, permanent, and simple construction of tram-railway, keeping true gage and ever.

free from low joints, to afford farmers and others using said highways the means to draw greater loads and with great speed and safety and also to afford a smoother and more lasting path for bicyclists and automobilists to travel on. These objects I attain by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a tram-railway track embodying myinvention; Fig. 2, an enlarged plan view of my metal base-plate. Fig. 3 is an isometrical View of my rail-support; Fig.4, a cross-section of my base-plate and upright in position; Fig. 5, a side elevation of my metallic gage tie-bar; Fig. 6, a plan View of my metallic wedge-key; Fig. 7, an isometrical view of my steel tram-rail; Fig. 8, a cross-section of my tram-railway track when all parts are placed in the highway.

The object of my invention is to provide suitable appliances for building highway tram-railways in a permanent substantial manner to prevent spreading or creeping of the rails, allowing them to eizpand and contract, and bya series'oflap-jointing of rails makinga continuous, accurate, and imperishable track. a As illustrated in the drawings, A designates my metallic concave base-plate, designed to give ample support'to the track. On the face ahole 1 is formed to receive the lug 2 of the rail-support B. The lug of the rail-support after passing through the hole in the face of the base-plate automatically locks them together and when combined make a rail-support with ample bearing-surface for the support of the track without cross-ties.

B designates my rail-support, which is made of metal, having a broad-face to support the rail. On the center of said face a groove 3 is formed to receive the downward pendant 4 of the rail F. The rail-support is also provided with mortises 5 to receive tierods and wedge-keys, also with a lug 2, having recesses which engage with the face of the base-plate. Said lug is designed to pass through the hole 1 and to engage in the face of the base-plate, securely fastening the railsupport and the base-plate firmly together.

' C designa'tes my base-plate and rail-support when locked together.

D designates the transverse tie-rod, which is preferably made of a fiat bar of metal and which has on its lower edges a notch 6, near the end thereof, whereby each end of said rod after passing through said mortises in the said uprightsecurelyshooks them together, also accurately gaging the track and preventing the spreading and creeping thereof.

E designates my wedge -key, preferably made of flat metal and bifurcated at each end 7, although a head may be placed on one end, as shown in the drawings, Fig. 6.

F designates my tram-rail, having a wide fiat face, each end of which is scarfed at 9, to engage longitudinally with the conjoining ends, and thereby a series of break-joints is formed throughout the entire length of .a track, and thus affords greater stability to the track. The tram-rail embraces the face 10, upon which the wheels of wagons, automobiles, or bicycles run, the under face corrugated at 11, having along its inner edge a longitudinal upward and downward pendant 12 and on the outer edge a downward pendant 13, formed to increase the strength of rail and assist the wheels to keep on the face thereof, and also a downward pendant placed immediately under the face of the rail and in the center thereof. Said pendant is designed to engage in the groove 3 of the rail-support.

G designates a cross-section of my tramrailway when all the parts are in position in. the highway.

My tram-railway tracks are laid in the following manner: First the lugs of the rail-support are inserted in the mortises on the face of the baseplate, giving it a quarter-turn,thus locking the lug across the mortise, and thereby locking both rail-support and base-plate together, as shown in Fig. 4. After placing them in position in the trenches in the highway prepared for that purpose the downward pendant of the tram-rail is placed in the groove of the rail-support, bringing the mortises in the rail-support and the mortises in the downward pendant of the rail in line with each other. The transverse tie-rods are then passed through said mortises. The notches on said tie-rods engage in the mortises in the rail-support. The wedge-key is then driven through the mortises in said downward pendant and rail-support, and all the parts are firmly locked together, as shown in Fig. 8, after which line and tamp up, and a perfect and uniform track is secured.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A metallic tram-rail,com posed of a broad face portion, corrugated on its under face, a

web portion slotted at intervals to receive the wedge-keys and longitudinal tongues, the one on its inner edge being formed upward and downward, the outer tongue downward, said face portion being scarfed so as to receive the conjoining rail and being fitted to interlock, as and for the purpose specified.

2. A metallic train-track chai r,com posed of an upright and concave base-plate, said upright being composed of abroad face portion with a deep groove on its face, a web havin; transverse mortises, on its bottom being formed a lug which is recessed to engage in the face of the concave base-plate, as and for the purpose specified.

THOMAS ll. GIBBON.

Witnesses:

0. H. KIRK,

EDWIN A. LEE. 

